Navigation & Survivorship News
By
Sharon S. Gentry, MSN, RN, HON-ONN-CG, AOCN, CBCN,
Kristi V. Goodwin, MSN, RN, OCN,
Debbra L. Larson, BSN, RN, OCN
The Northwest Navigation Network is the only local navigation network (LNN) on the West Coast, north of California. Given this vast geographical area, we hold our meetings in a virtual forum, meeting monthly via Zoom. This allows us to connect navigators from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, many who live and work in rural areas. In an effort to seek out more community resources for our LNN members and patients in these communities, we designed a Virtual Community Resource Fair. We have held 2 resource fairs, each happening annually in the fall. In this article, we provide tips for hosting your own virtual fair.
Three vaccines are being recommended this year: COVID, flu, and RSV. Each vaccine has its own unique considerations that both navigators and patients should be familiar with. Read on for a breakdown of each vaccine along with tips on how navigators can set the best examples for their oncology patients.
How does one stay informed in the workplace in this era of constant communication? Through sound communication practices and by joining an LNN.
Every member of a patient’s treatment team hopes their patient is in a clean, safe environment that enables them to stay on treatment and promote general well-being. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Home healthcare nurses can see things that patients didn’t reveal themselves—maybe they simply forgot to mention something, or they were embarrassed to do so. Read on to learn the value of partnering with home healthcare nurses to best address your patient’s unmet needs.
What is the key to happiness? One of the most credible research studies ever published points to 2 factors: taking care of one’s health and building loving relationships with others. These are practices that the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) encourages among all our members through our standards of professional oncology navigation practice and local navigation networks.
It has been a productive 2023 for AONN+’s active Local Navigation Networks (LNNs). Through these gatherings, members benefit from the sharing of resources—whether they are local, statewide, or supported by the pharmaceutical industry.
The decisions our patients make about their treatment are deeply personal. They might select one treatment plan over another based on how they process information, their experiences with cancer, and their life goals. Lillie shares a few recent examples of the decisions her patients have made that are both in line with and against their treatment team’s suggestion.
In recognition of the recent announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposing payment for community health integration services, the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) sees this opportunity as a key initiative to strengthen and accelerate the oncology navigation footprint in every community.
Summer is here! With warm weather comes an increase in outdoor activities. Because we know that more than 90% of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure, we need to be mindful of wearing sunblock and encourage our patients to do the same. Read on for points to bring up with your patients.
As the navigation profession grows in numbers and value, so do our Local Navigation Networks (LNNs). In this month’s Member’s Memo, AONN+ Program Director Sharon Gentry shares how 2 of our LNNs have adapted to better accommodate members’ needs and announces the launch of 3 new LNNs!